I rub my hands down my expensive navy dress pants and rock slightly in my uncomfortable black chair as the league commissioner walks to the center of stage and stops in front of the podium.

My whole future depends on this next hour. I gave it all I had this season and I'm hoping it paid off. I smashed school records, then NCAA records before being voted MVP of the season. But none of that matters when it comes to the pros. Anything can happen.

My tongue swipes across my lips and I take a deep breath while he adjusts the microphone. He clears his throat before starting his opening remarks.

"Don't be nervous sweetie. I'm proud of you either way." my mom whispers in my ear and grabs my hand. I shoot her a nervous grin and squeeze her hand. "Thanks for being here." She smiles as my dad clears his throat, ruining our moment, but nothing can ruin this day.

The announcer finishes his opening monologue then looks to a woman standing off to the side with a card and motions her forward. Her long legs take slow strides as she sashays across stage and I'm instantly missing Lexi. I wonder if she's watching from her apartment in LA to see where I end up or if she's forgotten all about me.

"Here it comes!" my mom squeals, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"And with the number one overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft, the San Francisco Giants select Mason Young, Southern Gulf University, Shortstop."

I can't hear anything except the screams from the crowd and congratulations from my parents. I feel the tears forming behind my eyes as relief flows through my body. I stand, hug my mom then my dad, adjust my jacket, and head for the stairs up to the podium. I shake the commissioner's hand, place the ball cap on my head, and hold the jersey up infront of my chest, turning to smile at the camera.

"Congratulations kid." the commissioner says, giving me a final handshake.

"Thank you sir." I say, grinning ear to ear and follow an assistant to the back room to meet my agent and other high level personnel.

I did it. I'm in the MLB.

"Congratulations!" screech Kaylee and Gia clinking their champagne glasses with mine. I sit back against the cushy red booth and smile at them.

Today, I signed Riley Dawson, an up and coming country music artist that I discovered from a new social media platform just last week. It took a lot of convincing and several flights down to Atlanta to get him to sign with me, but I did it. I signed the artist who's first single is skyrocketing up the charts and is set to be the number one song by the end of the month.

I adjust my sleeveless top and cross my legs. "It's surreal signing my first artist. I feel like I'm finally right where I belong."

"You're a natural. LA looks good on you." Kaylee says before downing her glass. "And we need another bottle. Who knows when we'll all be in the same place again." She waves her hand, signaling the waitress and asks for a second bottle of Moët & Chandon.

Kaylee accepted a fashion designer job at Steve Madden in New York City while Gia accepted a job in Dallas as a business analyst at Salesforce. Being in opposite time zones from my best friends should be daunting, but this past year, I've learned that being on my own is okay. Besides, nobody can replace the void of Mason, no matter how much they try too.

The waitress comes back with our second bottle and a half hour later, our eyes are bloodshot and we're giggling louder than normal. I throw my head back laughing at a message a guy sent Kaylee on Tinder and set my now empty glass down on the sleek brown table.

"He actually said that." I laugh.

"Yes! Why do men think it's okay to say shit like that." Kaylee says, then changes the tone of her voice to mimic the Tinder match, "I see you're serving a life sentence for being sexy, but that's ok, I like a bad girl."

A second round of ab crushing laughter fills my stomach and tears start rolling down my cheeks.

"I can't." Gia says, coughing and laughing at the same time. "Make it stop."

Kaylee rolls her eyes and puts her phone back in her purse. "What can I say? We aren't all lucky we had smooth talkers like Mason."

My heart clenches at his name and my laughter comes to a halt. Tension fills the room and Gia slaps Kaylee's arm. "What the hell Kay. I told you not to mention him."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know we weren't using his name anymore. It's been a year, you're not still upset about the breakup right?" Kaylee asks, staring at me.

I roll the stem of the champagne glass between my manicured fingers and pray this moment will pass. Hearing his name is a knife to the heart and takes me right back to the moment I left him standing in my driveway, hope in his eyes for our doomed future.

"I don't want to talk about it." I finally mumble, keeping my eyes focused on the glass.

"Well, have you heard from him?" Kaylee presses.

"I said I don't want to talk about it." I snap, pushing the glass away from me. It rolls across the table but thankfully doesn't fall off and break.

"I think we should head home." Gia whispers, setting her credit card down on the bill.

Have I heard from him? Of course not. And even if I wanted to, there's no way.

I changed my number.